“Is that your way of sweet-talking back into my panties again?” she asked and cupped his chin to kiss him. “If you’re going to talk like this, I’ll be forced to torture you to tell me more.”
“You. Drive. Me. Crazy.” he said, continuing to stamp himself on her soft breasts. “I keep having wet dreams because of you all day and night now. My imagination is limitless, apparently. You’ve turned me into a dog in heat. But at least I’m not afraid you will disintegrate when I touch you, I’m not scared you’ll break if I’m rough with you and you’ll make me the happiest man if you someday have my cubs.”
She was too stunned to say anything. What a strange way of putting things, even calling children “cubs”. Whatever.
“I think it took a lot of effort for you to open up to me like that. So, thank you for letting me in.”
She snuggled in his arms and the position was comfortable enough to convince them to just relax and enjoy each other’s company. He had to convince her that she was the only one for him. He had to tell her about that day in his restaurant. The same day his bear had chosen to keep away from him all of this time, resorting to showing him only her eyes, haunting his dreams so that he recognized her when he saw her again.
He couldn’t go back to sleep. He just held her in his arms, satisfied to be in this position again. He had been feeling restless and a bit angry, and he knew it didn’t have anything to do with his mate. It had to do with his brother. After some time, Adam’s phone buzzed and he shifted his body’s position, careful not to wake the beautiful woman sleeping in his arms. He stretched his arm to the nightstand to pick up his phone. His brother needed him at the restaurant. That conversation was going to wait. He had to go and fix whatever was wrong.
He stood up and her body noticed because she had stretched her arm over the warm place where he’d just been a few seconds ago. As inviting as she was, he knew he had to go.
He wrote her a note and took off.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Staring absent-mindedly at her computer screen where numbers and words mingled forming something she wasn’t clearly paying attention to for some time now, Anna was startled by the sound of her chirpy ringtone. The sound jolted her out of her reverie. She had to take a break from all this work. She needed a good night’s sleep. She needed to see Adam, or her anxiety would give her a heart attack soon. She fished the phone from under some papers and looked at the person calling her. It wasn’t him. Of course, she hadn’t even given him her number. She hadn't even called him after seeing the note that contained his phone number. She knew she had to, but now it was too late anyway. Three days had passed.
Andrea was the one calling her. Thank God! She needed to talk to her. In fact, what Anna really needed was her best friend to talk some sense into her, and she really hoped she did.
“Hi, girl. How are things?” Andrea asked enthusiastically. Anna couldn’t stop wondering what had gotten into her friend.
“Hello to you too. What’s with all the cheerfulness?”
“Well, I’m just dying to hear how your date went and since you never called the next day, I imagined you were busy doing it ever since. By the tone in your voice, I doubt that now.”
“It was only one night, Andrea. Don’t get your hopes up. I haven’t seen him ever since. It’s been three days and he hasn’t come over. I made a fool of myself anyway, so I don’t blame him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was too entranced by how rough and manly he was that I totally forgot about protection so I got very angry I started crying and told him to leave.”
“He didn’t, did he?” she interrupted.
“He left but came back. He was just waiting outside for me to calm down, apparently.”
She knew this wasn’t the part that she was more embarrassed about, but decided not to tell her about the other conversation, the one about her insecurities.
“Then he might be a keeper girl, if he already knows how to handle you.”
“He asked me to go on a date with him, but then he disappeared. He said he loved all of me and that he was thinking about us having children one day. He was clearly lying. He left while I was still sleeping and all he left was a note saying he would be back later and his phone number.”
“Have you called him?”
“I haven’t. I’ve been busy,” she lied.
“Busy?” Andrea retorted, knowing her all too well to fall for that.
“No, actually I think I’ve been stupid.” This sounded like a better excuse. “I think I’m falling for him and somehow my stupid brain keeps hoping I have more of a chance if I don’t call to check up on him. That, or I’m afraid he won’t pick up or he will reject me. I don’t really know, but the thing is I haven’t called him.”
“You should call him. Or go to his place or something.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“So you’re just going to lose him because you’re too proud to admit you care about him and you want more of him?”
“He’s clearly not interested since he disappeared like that. Look, I have to go. I’m busy and I’m starving. I’ve been swamped with work for the past three days and I’m slower than a snail. Talk to you later?”
“Sure, but think about what I said, Anna.”
“Okay.”
They didn’t even bother saying goodbye. They liked ending their conversations like this, without all the unnecessary polite things people waste precious time on.
Anna was falling hard. She realized she started having feelings for him after he left. She didn't know if him being so caring, protective and confident was to blame, or that he had a body to die for. Probably both. It gave her the chills when she thought how very afraid she was of pursuing anything with him as she couldn’t trust men. All her previous boyfriends were intimidated or annoyed by her bossy personality and they left her.
After the phone call, she decided to go to that restaurant to grab something to eat. It was just around the corner from her office anyway.
She was enjoying her vitalizing tomato cream soup when she saw Adam heading to the bar. Again? What was he doing here? She hadn’t seen his face, but she was sure it was him.
“Adam? Is that you?” she asked and the place echoed her words since it was mostly empty in that part and it was already too late for lunch.
Ryan had the same Alpha male attitude as Adam, but in a different way. He didn’t like it when people didn’t recognize him, but he was used to people calling him by his brother’s name. They were twins after all. It was something normal as it happened at least once a week.
He smiled to himself knowingly, recognizing his brother’s mate, then turned around and headed to her table.
Anna was confused now. This guy looked just like Adam. He had the same broad shoulders and you could make out all the rippling muscles underneath the business-like white shirt. Even if the same big brown eyes staring back at her, something wasn’t right. It didn’t feel like him.
“Hi Anna. That would be my brother. I’m Ryan.” he said calmly as he sat down next to her.
Her face fell. Wait a minute. He knew her name and Adam had a twin brother. This was too much to process just now.
“H-how do you know my name?”
“You are Anna, my brother’s mate, aren’t you?”
“Mate?”
“I mean girlfriend, sorry.”
“It’s not exactly like that. But wait. He told you that about me?”
“Of course he told me. I sensed it when it happened anyway. That night when you met and every day since then. You’re special to him, but you know that, don’t you?
“I didn’t and now I’m not even sure about it anymore. Do you know where he is?”
“He had to leave town, he’s on the other side of the country actually, dealing with some problems. We have some property there and since we’ve both been a bit distracted and sloppy lately, things got out of hand. He should be back soon.”
“He never
told me he was going away.”
“Yes, well… he’s not the most talkative guy in the universe and it came out of the blue. You should call him. He has been expecting your call. ”
She didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say to this copy of her man. When had she become so possessive to be calling him her man anyway? It didn’t matter. She felt he was hers and that was the important thing.
“Look, it was great to finally meet the woman who brought my brother back to me. He’s a great guy deep down, under that serious face of his. I have to go now, but don’t you worry about the bill. What you’re having is on the house,” he said as he headed towards the bar area.
The woman who brought me my brother back. His words echoed in her head. What did he mean by that? She had no clue, but she knew Adam had some serious explaining to do.
She waited till she got home, and called him. When he didn’t answer, she decided to wait some more time and try again if he didn’t get back to her.
It was eight o’clock when she decided to lie down. God only knew she’d had a couple of rough days and her back was bothering her again. Her mattress could do wonders in this unfortunate situation and lying down always made her feel better. It was the only moment when she felt she could really relax. Sometimes she read. Sometimes she watched TV. Sometimes she talked to her friend Andrea while Chris would send her kisses over the phone. This was one of those evenings she wanted human contact, someone to cuddle with, to laugh with, to tickle her, to kiss, to make love to. She thought of Adam and her heart ached. She was upset. Why hadn’t he said anything? His mere presence had power over her. Power to make her feel accepted, desired, loved and understood. He was indeed one of a kind and his absence hurt.
She changed into a black silk nightgown that only covered a tiny fragment of the upper part of her legs. She liked this piece because her breasts weren’t confined. Her stomach growled but she couldn’t eat. It hurt so much that she turned off the small lamp on her left bedside table and curled up in a ball. Little had she known a few days ago that she would feel like this. She longed for his warm touch, for him to be there with her.
She caressed the pillow next to her and whispered his name.
Silence answered back. Empty, deafening silence.
Then the darkness around her became alive and she heard a loud boom. She was in a forest. It was a wet, foggy and cold night. What was she doing there? Adam was in front of her, his back covering her with his body. She could hear voices and dogs running and barking. There were flashlights piercing the darkness everywhere around her. The police officer told Adam to surrender and raise his hands. Why was the police after them? She covered her ears with her hands, hoping the noise would diminish and she could get her shit together.
“Stop defending her. Hand her to us and we’ll deal with her,” the man instructed.
“She is mine and she is innocent. Leave her alone,” came Adam’s reply.
“You give us no choice then,” came a threatening reply.
The noise of a gun being prepared to be used was the only thing her mind could focus on. She didn’t get a thing of what was happening and why, but she wanted to make Adam turn around and explain everything to her. Unfortunately, she had no time to do that. The dog barks got closer and gunshots filled the air, making birds in the trees above abandon their nests and fly away. Adam jerked as if he had been the recipient of the shot. She had no way of checking, but it couldn’t be. Why would someone shoot him?
But he had been shot, his legs weren’t steady anymore and he turned around and hugged her.
“No, Adam, no!” she shouted with all the pain her heart was filling with.
She heard other shots and Adam fell to the ground, her arms not strong enough to support him.
She cried and clutched his now lifeless body. She could feel she was surrounded by death as other shots were fired in the distance. Her heartbeat raced and she woke up panting. Her head throbbed and she could not see or think.
The only thing she could do was hear, and she heard something alright. There were knocks on her front door. She was relieved to discover she wasn’t in the forest, Adam wasn’t there and the chilly air wasn’t biting at her skin anymore. It had all been a dream. A nightmare. Damn it. It had felt so real and she could remember every bit of it. Her life was even more of a mess that before.
Great job, Anna!
Who could it be at this time of night? The knocks were so insistent she had to hurry or that person would break down her door. No slippers were in sight so she just headed for the door barefoot. The cool wooden floor slowly woke her up.
“Come on, Anna. Open up, I know you’re in there,” she heard him say.
Adam.
He had come back.
She felt exposed but safe at the same time. Warmth was acting like a blanket around her. Adam was that warm, reassuring presence in her life. She knew now.
As she turned the key in the knob to unlock the door and grabbed the handle, the door creaked open and there he was, all business-like dressed and his hair looked like he had slipped his fingers through it too many times. Like he was desperately trying to calm down. His whole face was tense. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He had been worried. For her. The sleeves of his plain light-blue shirt were rolled up and he wasn’t wearing a tie anymore. She just stared at him. How masculine he looked. How he made her tremble at the mere thought of what could happen later tonight now that he was here.
“I heard you scream. What’s happening, Anna?” he asked as he entered, shut the door and pulled her in his arms.
She was shaking. When she didn’t answer, but held him tighter in her arms he realized she was wearing a nightgown. One that was soft and loose-fitting. She had just woken up. It hung so deliciously on her hips. He could swear she wasn’t wearing anything under it. That gave his bear new ideas.
“Nightmare?” he asked more for himself.
She nodded.
He picked her up and kissed her on his way to her bedroom. He could smell caramel everywhere in the house. It smelled like home for some reason. Looking at the precious being in his arms he noticed how petite she was compared to him. He was pleased that his presence was dissolving the fear he could smell when he had arrived.
He had missed feeling her body so close to his. The three days had been torture. And cold as hell. The emptiness he had felt was almost arctic. The fact that she hadn’t called only added to how lonely he felt.
Her bed was a mess, the milk white sheets were tangled and the pillows were on the floor. A clear sign of a very bad nightmare. His mate was unhappy for some reason. He had to do something to make her feel better.
“I thought you weren’t coming back,” she said, more like a whisper.
He set her down on the bed and sat next to her. He was silent for what seemed like forever.
“Why wouldn’t I come back?” he finally asked.
“Because I didn’t call. Because… I don’t know. Maybe you were sick and tired of me.”
“It’s true that I was hoping you would call, but I’m willing to wait for you to figure out how you feel about me.”
The silence in him collided with the silence in her. It was getting awkward.
He let out a sigh and said “It was supposed to be a one day trip but the situation I had to take care of is pretty serious and it required me meeting with many people.”
“Yes, I know now. Your brother told me today.”
“Wait, what? My brother?”
“I bumped into him and I thought it was you. He told me about your trip and then something very strange. That you thought of me as your mate. Whatever that means. You men and your vocabulary,” she laughed.
He cursed Ryan for saying too much and wondered how they had met.
“I’m happy you find us amusing.”
“You didn’t tell me you had a brother. A twin brother, to be more precise,” she scolded him.
“We were getting there. I was keepin
g that for our date. But since it’s out now… what else would you like to know?”
She was so relieved he was there with her that she decided to enjoy it and not question him for now.
“There is time for that. You must be so tired and I’m so glad you’re here that I’m going to forgive you that tiny slip,” she said as she rubbed her hand on his stubble. “Have I told you how much I like this scruffy look of yours?” It was spiky but she loved the smoothness her skin would have after brushing her palm on it.
He felt the teasing edge in her voice and just wanted to cuddle her until his bear was convinced she was okay, but she seemed to have other plans. And she was so welcoming and enticing, dressed only in that nightgown. Even her attitude towards him had changed. She didn’t seem to be angry with him anymore. Just happy to see him. That gave him deep satisfaction. This wonderful woman in front of him was accepting him. She probably wasn’t even aware of what she was doing, but it was all getting better.
She kissed him with a playfulness that wasn’t there before and which held a silent promise of more to come. He was tired, he had to admit. All that running around town and meeting with people had drained him. And he hadn’t slept on the plane either. Despite these things, he wasn’t going to waste the chance to please his mate. He wasn’t too tired when it came to his mate and how turned on she made him. The thought of being in her company made his head spin with lust.
She climbed onto his lap in one move. He wasn’t bothered in the least. He grinned and placed his hands on her waist. The position wasn’t the most comfortable in the world since he had the most disturbing bulge in his pants and she could definitely feel it by now, but his mate’s interest in him stirred his blood, making him focus only on her.
“I don’t know how you do it,” she let out in a defeated voice.
“Do what?” he pretended to have no clue what she was talking about and hoped she wasn’t referring to his lower brain.
“This. Just look at me. I was so pissed at you for leaving without a word and so angry with myself because I couldn’t call you. I was afraid you wouldn’t answer. I didn’t want to be that girl, the one who doesn’t know it’s over so she calls her boyfriend again and again in hopes he would answer and tell her she got it all wrong. I was so afraid you left for good. But then I talked to your brother and he suggested that I called you. So I did. You didn’t answer or call me back. I don’t know what to do with you. You’re so calm, you made me forget all of that and I just fell into your arms like a smitten kitty.”
Shifting Impulse: A BBW Bear-Shifter Romance (Complete Edition - Books 1-3) Page 6
